The explanation given for the gap in revenue and expense is that individual water meters monitor how much water is entering a household, but not how much water is leaving, according to Hinnenkamp.

When a household has a sump pump, a foundation drain, or a downspout connected to the sanitary sewer system, they are not charged for the additional gallons of water being discharged.

Yet, the amount of water the city is discharging to the wastewater treatment plant is being monitored once it enters the facility, and it is being charged for the additional gallons of water.

The city is doing what it can to fix the infiltration problems with the street and utility improvement projects taking place this summer.

Once the city has completed its improvements and the sump pump inspections, it will have a better understanding of what else needs to happen to fix its remaining inflow and infiltration problems, which will be phase two, said city engineer Barry Glienke of Bolton & Menk.

Phase two could include more intensive testing, such as smoke or dye tests and televising of the sewer line to determine whether things such as foundation drains or drain tiles are connected to the sanitary sewer, Glienke said.

At this time, it is unknown whether those tests will need to be done.

It will not be known until after it is determined how much the street and utility improvement project and first phase of the sump pump inspection program reduced the amount inflow and infiltration into Howard Lake’s sanitary sewer system.

“We need to find out how to fix this, because if we don’t figure it out, our wonderful sewer fund will go away,” Hinnenkamp said.